TE KOOTI’S STRONGHOLD AT NGATAPA.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 154, 23 January 1869, Page 5

TE KOOTI’S STRONGHOLD AT NGATAPA.

The following extracts are taken from tlxe H. B. Herald's correspondent, who was with the forces, and is dated the 27th ult., and was therefore written before the late attack and victory : “ From a high fern ridge on the left of

the road we have caught a glimpse of Ngatapa—at least the staff and your correspondent have—and the view confirms the opinion expressed upon the line of march, ■‘We are engaged in an Abyssinian campaign on a small scale.’ Reduce the numbers engaged, the length of the journey, the size of the ravines, and the elevation of the final goal, and you have our field of action. It remains to be proved whether Ngatapa will fall into'our hands as easily as Magdala dropped into Sir JR. Napier’s. From its appearance I should say the reverse. It looks from the distance like a sugar! oaf, with three consecutive circles of entrenchments around the top. Our position is on a saddle-back ridge, facing, at 1,900 yards, the south-west slope of Ngatapa. In front of us, rising from the midst of a jumble of hills, there stands by itself a bush-covered, dome-shaped mass, crowned by a sugar-loaf peak springing abruptly from the centre, the whole attaining a height of some 2,000 feet. Three distinct lines were round this cone—one at the base, another about half-way up, and the third a few yards below the summit. To the enemy’s front and right the ground slopes away pretty gradually ; on the left, and from all accounts in the rear, the fall is precipitous. The space in front of the work has been cleared of all cover for some 400 yards, where the bush commences. An extent of 100 or 150 yards divides the second, line from the lower, and within this is built a large whare. Several other whares by its side and at the top set m capable of holding a large number of ra- n. The lower line appears to be merely a series of rifle-pits, flanked, and terminating

at the precipitous extremity on the left. The second consists of a ditch and parapet some ten or eleven feet high, riveted with tea-tree stakes. The third, as far as I can make out, is stockaded, and goes right round. I enclose you a sketch and plan, by which you will perceive that we are before a very strong position. None of the officers hei-e have seen so strong a pa. The bare idea of taking it by storm is utterly inadmissible. * * * * '* It has been at last determined to attack what may hereafter be the celebrated hill fortress Ngatapa, some further particulars concerning that stronghold may be acceptable, I proceed to lay before your readers such later information respecting it as I have been able to obtain. Ngatapa, in addition to its circular outer rifle pits, has been further fortified at its summit by a triple line of palisades. The only approach in front was formerly a narrow track through dense scrub and up a steep spur. Ngatapa is precipitous on both sides this spur. Some distance up this spur there is a deep cleft. Here Ropata, the brave Ngatiporou chief, with 70 of his men, stormed and held for a whole night the enemy’s rifle pits. The 70 Ngatiporou would have burst into Ngatapa but for want of support and ammunition. Now, upon this leading spur, Te Kooti has, we are told, constructed covered rifle pits, parallel on each side to the narrow track, which has been somewhat widened by clearing away the scrub. The rifle pits are concealed by manuka scrub planted over their roofs. Te Kooti calculates we shall attack him upon the side I have described, in which case our men passing by a narrow defile would be shot down by the fire from his parallel rifle pits. There is no other means of access or exit to Ngatapa than the one I have indicated, excepting an outlet from the rear, and opposite to the passage by which Te Kooti expects to effect his retreat into the bush, if beaten out of Ngatapa. He appears, however, to think it impossible for us to take his citadel, having left his women and children with a few defenders whilst he, at the head of nearly all his men (said now to number 400), has advanced some distance towards Patutahi, preparatory to another raid upon Poverty Bay.”